Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-07-09
NAMES OF TOWNS AND MEN.
What Some Of Them Mean and Whence
They Come.

l from the Bu03l0 courier.
| Occasionally the subject OF names Is made a
study by some scholar in search OF fresh literary
fields and book pastures new. The venerable
David Dudley Field not long since delivered an In
terestng lecture on the names Of the towns In this
State, hurting all the invectives In his opulent
magazine at the half-learned individual, whoever
| he may have been, who strewed this goOdy region
with the CASTOR clothing OF Greece and Rome.
Prof. Dexter. OF Yale College, prepared very en-
| pertaining pamphlet on the names Of the
Connecticut towns. and pointed out that
the absence OF political color in them bore witness
| to the diplomatic caution which characterized
sharp contrast to the course of the elder colony
OF Massachusetts, the list OF towns in which reads
IN Page 1, Q, ne1Hs t ~. rsp3rer
| ton Of wit on the never-failing theme OF the
names OF his feowcitizens OF Polish extraction If
cedents II Utica claims him for her own. But it
must De said that the subject OF names generally
Is far from being worked for all it is worth. as Mr.
Emerson might have put It.
The names OF towns are often Interesting. Some
times story goes with them, as in The case OF
| memorate individuals in quaint manner.
such as Wilkes-Barre, or Angelica, which bears
the name OF one OF Gen. schuyler's daughters;
or Marilla, In Erie County, named after one OF
tho most respected and esteemed of the mothers
In our Buffalo Israel, who is still with us. SO
famous street, was tribute q respect from the
original surveyors to their patron saint in math
cuatcS. Again name may illustrate o queer
course OF corruption. as KillingwOrth, which
was originally Kentlworth. But the names Of
Towns certainly do not surpass in interest as
fields OF study those OF families. The author OF
one OF the volumes in the american Common
wealth" series, Prof. Johnston, says that the
names OF the Union soldiers who went from the
State whose history he Is telling will almost show
which town is entitled to each man. And it might
De remarked that a traveller who reads the signs
In the Western cities Of this country can gain
pretty good idea of the antecedentS of its mer-
chants II Coffin is met in Indiana the chances
are strong that the roar OF the surf upon Man.
buckets coast is a recollection Of his youth and
mat ne Is descendant or the original TriStram
Comm; The Ballsare for the most part from Block
Island. The only certain thing about Clark is
that he is from some part of New England where
the name Is commOner than Smith. A LHOmme-
dleu, Lopez, or Horton Is from Long Island and
Horizons Point Light Is there to witness IL we
Ne Batchelder or PrOuty is probably from
worcester County, Mass, and Woodruff from
Lltchneld County, Conn. The BartonS are Rhode
islanders, and proud OF telling how one member of
Inelr family captured the British General Prescott.
Inc COltS are neighbOrS OF theirs, having come
from Norwich, the rose of New England. II one
should happen to be in CheektOwaga, and hear
mentioned the name OF Seldom Ely, 1t would be
OF shad they had at Lyme this year. The same in
formation could be obtained from Bushnell, but
not from Waite; the latter comes from farther
east, from beyond the shad limit. or course, the
DepeWS and the whole race or Vans are descend
ants OF Dutchmen of the Mohawk and Hudson VAL
leys, and every Evans EllicOtt is living record
OF the romantic 1ntermarrtageS OF those families,
and the one home that sheltered them all at Eli
colt Mills, Md.